Calling out to a passing girl, he asked if I would be in the way if I wandered around the club. In response, I received assurances that no, and if I wait a couple of minutes, she will even accompany me as a guide. They're all so... friendly here. Not specifically in this club, but in general. While I was wandering around the club building, I had never been sent far away, not even rude. Either I'm so lucky, or it will be like this until most first-year students are sorted into clubs.
But then the girl came back, and I was led around the room, showing models and photographs, along the way telling the story of the ruins and their exploration by the members of the club. Greece, Egypt, Italy, Iran, India are not a complete list of places visited by amateur archaeologists. And their latest project is Mount Fuji. More precisely, the ancient base of the Former, they are the Ancients, they are the Forerunners, they are the Titans. But more often it's just Ancient. Oh, how many books have been written about them, how many films have been shot, and in fact nothing is known, even how they look. Although, of course, there are many theories. But quite recently they were still called gods, and the few working bases that survived to our time were considered their temples, in which monks or priests-magi-druids have been sitting for centuries. And they are still sitting there, by the way. In fact, according to modern scientists, there are very few operating bases, ancient laboratories or warehouses, in the world, and they have been studied extremely little. It is a paradox, but the largest repositories of ancient knowledge are inaccessible to the overwhelming number of people. And the reason is by no means technical, but the most human. It's just that almost all of these structures have been used as an ordinary bank for thousands of years. Although these banks do not provide anything other than storage services. Previously, the aristocrats carried everything they considered valuable there. Now, I suspect, they keep gold and silver in ordinary banks, and in general it is easier to store material values there. Still, there are a lot of banks and their branches, and there are about twenty vaults for the whole world, which, you must agree, is inconvenient. I don't know what the aristocrats are holding there, but no one is going to gut these archaeological sites yet. They also say, I don't know if it's true or not, that
it's very
difficult to take the vaults by force. And cases of theft from there are not recorded even in legends. And don't tell me that for the sake of supertechnologies, you can sacrifice a lot and don't give a damn about many. Nonsense. When everyone rises up against you, no throne will protect you, and you will not sit on this very throne. Add to this the fact that the remnants of Ancient technologies and without storage are in bulk and that they could have been studied for a long time, and much has been applied, and you will understand that no one, in fact, needs changes.
Mount Fuji, as the girl explained to me, was a home project. Due to the inability to arrange an expedition to any repository, the layout had to be created based on information collected over the centuries: stories, drawings of eyewitnesses and even photographs. Still, the layout of the interior, most at least, was not secret, unlike how everything works there. And in many places, I am sure, no one, except monks, has ever been. The defense system was also kept secret. By the way, all storage facilities in the world are built on the same principle and are very similar to each other. So it is quite possible to create a layout, not very detailed, of course. I will even say more, such models have been made for a hundred years, ever since the English expedition dug up the inactive ruins of the Ancients in Egypt, the same type of repositories, by everyone who is not lazy. They are even sold as a souvenir. But for the school club, this is unacceptable, they, you see, need to do everything with their own hands. Maybe they are right, but their version will be a souvenir in more detail. But for me, it would be better if they
were looking for
his lost vault, like in the local Indiana Jones movies. Yes, yes, it also exists here, only the plots are different.
In general, the club is impressive, apparently, because it crossed with my childhood dreams. However, it's time and honor to know. Politely finishing the tour of the places of glory of the archeology club, I went to the fourth floor.
It was a contrast between peace and war. There were various gun clubs on one side of the corridor, and art clubs on the other. The Missile Weapons Club was opposite the painting club, and the military history club was opposite the literature club. Gun clubs, as it turned out, were engaged not only in the history of weapons, but also tried to create their own, it is unknown, however, how successfully. Well, I think it's clear what the same architecture club was doing.
Even going up to this floor, I was wondering if I should skip it. My local clubs didn't fit in with my free time, but I decided that it certainly wouldn't get any worse. And here I am standing at one of the shelves of the modeling club and looking at the frozen sister of my classmate Aketi.
— Yeah. I think I'll go.
— Sakurai-kun? Sakurai Shinji-kun?
Another girl came up to us. A brown-haired woman with blue eyes, oval glasses, two long tails and with a non-childish chest.
"That's the one," I said cautiously. — Do we know each other?
"No, but this little one," she said, putting her hand on Aketi's shoulder, "I've known since childhood. By the way, my name is Hiki, Hiki Makinami. And her," the brown—haired woman continued, patting her on the shoulder, "Aketi Toremazu.
— Sakurai Shinji, — I bowed, — nice to meet you.
— And it's so nice for me. And it's interesting," the bespectacled one drawled in response. — It's very difficult to meet a person who can make Tori-chan fall into a stupor, you know.
— Which at least she and I are very, you know, not happy about.
— Oh! Do you think she's not happy about it?
After looking at Aketi, who had not thawed out, he turned his gaze back to Hiki:
— I don't see any joy on her face.
— It doesn't matter what the face shows, it's important what's going on inside her, — the girl said with inspiration, raising her index finger.
"So you're an empath, are you?" Or a pathologist?
— I '
m a friend
! — she breathed out in response.
- Yes? I'm glad she has a friend who can read her emotions. But maybe I'll go anyway? And then," I nodded at the frozen cutie, "she's not going to come to her senses.
— Yes, yes, of course, go. But don't forget to come in again, you're always welcome here," Hickey said, holding back her laughter.
Tin to have such a friend. You can't envy poor Aketi. Although in general, nothing like a girl, beautiful and cheerful, I won't say about the mind, but it doesn't seem to be a fool. He doesn't overdo it with jokes, he doesn't take offense at retaliatory ones — probably it's not that scary. Not for me, of course, for Aketi.
Bowing to both girls at once, he slowly went to the exit, where he thought about further searches. Anyway, I won't achieve anything with a simple inspection, it's too superficial. I, in principle, did not expect much, I just decided to start somewhere ... okay, I'll drop by the fifth floor and go home. I'm unlikely to find anything worthwhile there, but it's worth going in for a check.
The room closest to me on the fifth floor belonged to the journalism club. I didn't hesitate to pass by. On figs such happiness. The club of jurisprudence, lovers of pets, logical riddles — what was not there. For example, the cosplay club was adjacent to stamp collectors, and train lovers were adjacent to fashion historians. So many things, and there's not even close to anything for me. It's sad how. When I reached the end of the corridor, I shook my head. Well, okay, where ours did not disappear, we'll come up with something.
When I got home, I turned on the TV and went to cook dinner. The news droned on about a new fashion exhibition, the arrival of Kaiser's representatives in Tokyo and another brewing war in the Free Territories. Nothing unexpected, in general. Under the measured droning of the box, I reasoned about how I should be with the club. In principle, I have only one thing left for now — to collect information. And I can only collect it from those who have been studying at Dakisyuro for several years or who are well acquainted with such people. The Tire, for example. You can also ask Raydon to monitor the situation with his sister. At the very least, go to the modeling club again— I think Aketi's girlfriend is talkative enough to be able to talk her down. Who else do I know there? Hm. Then we'll accept... although stop, you can still go through your class. And it's better to start doing it as soon as possible, everything takes time, and I only have two weeks left. I wonder what will happen to me if I don't join any club? Will they be expelled, or what? For such nonsense? Well, last of all, to the very edge, you can join somewhere. And don't walk. I will be kicked out, of course, but it's not scary, because there are a lot of clubs, and while they stop accepting me in them, I will have time to visit many. I hope by then I will either find what I need, or those with whom the right club can be created. That's great. Once the plan is adopted, it is necessary to implement its first point. Or more precisely, a conversation with Sheena. Looking at the washed vegetables, boiling water on the stove and thawing meat, I thought that it could be implemented now. While cooking dinner has not entered a crucial phase. At the same time, we'll eat for free.
The tire was not at home yet, and I, having broken down a little, succumbed to Kagami's persuasions and stayed for dinner. And while she was cooking, I went to Ake-no to play a part in shogi. After about twenty minutes of the game, Kenta joined us, as always, taking his son's side. Not because I'm a son, of course, but because I'm better. In those infrequent moments when I play go with him, Akeno already brings balance to the game, helping me, though, because I'm a little better at go than neither boom-boom.
When Sheena returned, I do not know, but about an hour and a half later she looked in to tell us that dinner was ready. And half an hour later — again.
— Grandfather!
— Huh? Hmm. Did something happen?
— Dinner happened. Half an hour ago.
— And how is he there, is he still alive? Akeno asked.
"So far, yes," Sheena said.
— We believe in you, girls, — Kenta said, looking at the position of the chips on the board, — you will be able to keep it alive. Another... twenty minutes.
— Pf. — Showing her attitude to the situation with her snort, Sheena slid the door partition, leaving us to finish playing.
— But they won't sit down without us, — I said the obvious, thoughtfully looking at the board. Today is clearly not my day, and if so, it is necessary to retreat competently.